Porkcentric, which is located several steps away from its sister restaurant Ask for Alonzo in Tai Hang, takes over the space that was once the neighbourhood's beloved gastropub Second Draft. The new Central European eatery, unsurprisingly, makes pork the star of the show with a substantial selection of cold cuts and grilled meats on the menu. There are, however, also non-pork options including poultry, seafood and vegetarian dishes alongside craft beers to wash it all down.
Honing in on one of Asia's most popular proteins, Porkcentric's founders Bart Szyniec and Giuliano Dacasto did their own homework by researching—and tasting—pork cuts from different breeds of pig before settling on five that are considered the best: American Duroc, English Hampshire, Japanese Kurobuta, Italian Cinta Senese, and Hungarian Mangalica. The pair also make the most of their European roots, whereby Dacasto's work experience at a wild pig farm in Umbria, Italy, comes in handy for pork preparation, and Szyniec's background from Western Poland and exploration of Berlin, Prague, and Vienna has given him an affinity for the pork and beer experience.
Beer bar
Salumeria
Inside, the restaurant has three main areas including the dining room, beer bar, and salumeria which is where the cured meats hang. Decked out in dove grey walls, bare brick, Italian marble tables and soft moss furnishings, Porkcentric looks modern and certainly feels European, though photos of old Tai Hang don the walls, paying tribute to the local neighbourhood.
The meats are grilled at high heat in a charcoal oven
The food menu utilises the different characteristics of the pork and features a grilled meat section including a Hungarian pork chop tomahawk, Duroc porterhouse pork steak, and a Porkcentric platter made for sharing with crispy pork knuckle, spicy chipotle marinated pork ribs, and roasted sausages with Cajun fries, sauerkraut and lentils on the side. For those that aren't in the mood to pork out, there is also seafood with items such as baked lobster with pumpkin risotto or sautéed mussels as well as refreshing salads, sides and Polish pierogies, a well-known potato and cheese dumpling dish from Szyniec's childhood, among other dishes.
Cold cuts platter
Hungarian pork chop tomahawk
As for the beer, drinkers can enjoy craft brews from international brands and local brewery partner Moonzen, some of which come from a ceiling-mounted draught system in which three tanks are filled with beer that rotates regularly. Currently, you can sip on the likes of a Japanese sake rice lager called Monkami, the malty Monkey King Oktolager, and a revolving special like the fruity Lin Fa Tropical Ale which has been made exclusively for Porkcentric. There is also Goose Island IPA from Chicago, German Lowenbrau, gluten-free Dancing Lion Cider and more on tap, along with drinks in the form of highballs and beer cocktails.
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